M on the Bund

'Glamorous Dining'

Did you ever imagine that you would find convincing fish & chips, a country terrine or a pavlova served at the same restaurant? In Shanghai? We certainly didn’t, until we ate at M on the Bund.

M on the Bund however, is not just about the food. The magnificent terrace and view over the Bund and Huang Pu are just as impressive. Having a weekend brunch here is one of those surreal experiences that you could only imagine to have in places such as Shanghai. The view, the glitzy decoration of M on the Bund and the remarkably well-dressed clientele make it a fairly unusual restaurant in China.

Whilst the relaxed, if sophisticated atmosphere is an essential part of M on the Bund’s charm, the food is equally convincing. Less eccentric than the decoration would make you believe, the dishes here are mostly well-executed classics from all over the world. Thus, the menu is full of dishes that you would have trouble to find in China: beef tartar, fish & chips, pavlova, crème brulée.

The odd thing here is the way in which the food is devoid of any fuss or pretension. Take the fish & chip; all you have on the plate is the lightly battered fish, some tartar sauce and chunky chips. A first bite reveals perfectly battered and fried fish, which is of surprisingly good quality. Finding fish of this quality in the UK would certainly not be easy, let alone finding a chippy that does chips as well as they do here. Dipped into the tartar sauce, this plate of fish & chips is the best we have had outside of the UK so far.

Equally tasty is a beef tartar. Simply topped with a slow-poached egg and served with skinny chips on the side, this is another remarkably simple and delicious plate of food. The meat could have been aged a tad longer to boost its flavour, but apart from this issue, the seasoning is spot on and the runny egg yolk adds enough richness to really make this a delight. The chips are good, whilst less memorable than those coming with the fish.

If M is famous for a particular dish, it would have to be the pavlova. Given that this dessert was created in honour of the ballerina Anna Pavlova, the fluffy, airy meringue is the perfect base for the various fruits topping it. What is remarkable in this dessert is the lightness of the sizeable wedge, and the way in which the fresh, sweet and sour flavours are balanced. The result is absolutely delicious, which doesn’t feel heavy and revives the taste buds.

M on the Bund is a restaurant that combines the glamour of the Bund with simple, convincing and honest food. The atmosphere and view complete the picture and make sure that you don’t forget that you’re in China’s most international and glamorous city.